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Arsenal’s interest in Bayern Munich winger Serge Gnabry has been made ‘more intriguing’ by the player’s contract situation, claims transfer insider Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Gnabry’s future

The former Gunner has only 12 months left on his contract with the German champions, and so far he has failed to commit his future to the Bundesliga outfit, opening up the possibility of a move away from the Allianz Arena this summer.

Bayern’s sporting director Hasan Salihamidžić has insisted that the club would love to keep hold of the 26-year-old: “We really want to keep him. We would love to extend with him. I think we showed him the necessary appreciation.”

However, with Gnabry’s future clearly uncertain, chief Bild journalist Christian Falk has now reported that Arsenal are interested in re-signing the Germany international.

The Latest: Jones reacts

Whilst Jones believes that a transfer will be difficult considering the Gunners missed out on Champions League football last season, he considers Gnabry’s contract situation a boost in Arsenal’s pursuit of the attacker.

Speaking with GiveMeSport, he claimed: “There has been some talk of Gnabry to Arsenal, and his contract situation has meant that’s more intriguing.

“I’m not sure it’s the level of club he would have in mind but let’s see if they can make inroads as a back-up plan.”

The Verdict: Good alternative to Raphinha

As Mikel Arteta’s side now look likely to miss out on Leeds United winger Raphinha, with the Brazilian reliably reported to be making the switch to Chelsea, the Gunners will need to look elsewhere if they want to sign a right-sided forward this summer.

Valued at £58.5m by Transfermarkt, the 26-year-old Gnabry has gone on to establish himself as one of the most exciting attackers in world football since leaving north London, bagging 64 goals and producing 40 assists in 171 appearances for Bayern. With numbers like that, it’s no wonder the versatile forward has been dubbed ‘world class’ by Rio Ferdinand.

And as Jones alludes to, the Bundesliga side could be forced into selling the player for much less than his market valuation due to his dwindling contract, perhaps making Gnabry the cheaper option when compared with Leeds’ £60m valuation of Raphinha.

Liverpool are interested in signing Real Madrid winger Marco Asensio this summer and have reportedly ‘come forward’ for him in recent days.

The Lowdown: Asensio leaving Madrid?

The 26-year-old picked up his third Champions League medal at the expense of the Reds last season, admittedly not playing a key role in his team’s success, though.

Asensio has drifted down the pecking order under Carlo Ancelotti, with Vinicius Jr and Federico Valverde preferred out wide, and it means he could leave Madrid with only a year remaining on his current deal.

Liverpool have been linked with a move for the Spaniard this week and it is a rumour that is refusing to go away.

The Latest: Liverpool pressing ahead

According to Calciomercato [via Sport Witness], the Reds have now ‘come forward’ for Asensio, as they look to beat Arsenal and Newcastle United to his signature.

It looks a ‘stronger and stronger’ likelihood that a Premier League move is on the cards as Madrid are desperate to avoid losing him for free next year, and the Reds see him as a replacement for Sadio Mane.

One sticking point however is Liverpool not being able to guarantee him regular football.

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The Verdict: Might not be worth it

Asensio’s quality as a footballer cannot be questioned – he was once described as ‘tremendously precise’ by Jorge Valdano and more recently called ‘spectacular’ by agent Horacio Gaggioli, and the numbers certainly back that up.

Despite limited chances this season, the Spain international bagged ten goals from just 19 La Liga starts, averaging over two shots and one chance created every game, per Whoscored.

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That being said, with Mohamed Salah, Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez, Diogo Jota and Roberto Firmino already battling for minutes in Liverpool’s attack, it is hard to see where he would fit in.

Asensio would also cost a hefty sum of money and with funds not exactly unlimited this summer, Jurgen Klopp would be better off using them to bring in a new midfielder, such as the recently-linked Nicolo Barella.

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in a deal to bring David Raum to the Premier League this summer.

What’s the word?

That’s according to Jonathan Shrager, with the journalist revealing in a recent post on Twitter that Fabio Paratici has now made contact with the Bundesliga side to express his interest in a move for the 24-year-old in the coming weeks.

The journalist went on to reveal that the likes of Manchester City, Borussia Dortmund and Manchester United have also been in contact with Hoffenheim concerning a €35m (£30m) deal for the Germany international, with the latter of the trio said to have already held initial discussions regarding the defender’s transfer.

In his tweet, Shrager said: “Spurs, Manchester City, Borussia Dortmund and Manchester United are among the numerous clubs to express an interest in David Raum at various points. MUFC recently made an enquiry, but my impression is that it was only an initial conversation and certainly no offer has been made.”

The new David Alaba

Considering just how impressive Raum was for Hoffenheim last season, it is not difficult to understand why Paratici would be interested in a move to bring the left-back to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this summer.

Indeed, over his 32 Bundesliga appearances in 2021/22, the £26m-rated full-back was in imperious form, scoring three goals, registering 13 assists and creating 19 big chances for his teammates, as well as making an average of 2.7 key passes, taking 0.8 shots and completing 1.0 dribble per game.

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The £6.4k-per-week defender also impressed in metrics more typical of his position, helping his side keep four clean sheets, as well as making an average of 1.6 tackles, 0.8 interceptions, 1.1 clearances and winning 4.5 duels – at a success rate of 51% – per fixture.

These returns saw the 24-year-old average a rather breathtaking SofaScore match rating of 7.29, not only ranking him as Andre Breitenreiter’s best performer in the league but also as the 12th-best player in the division as a whole.

Furthermore, according to FBref data, Raum also ranks in the top 1% of full-backs in Europe’s big five leagues for assists per 90, in addition to the top 1% for xA, the top 1% for shot-creating actions, the top 16% for non-penalty goals, the top 14% for progressive passes and the top 16% for touches in the opposition penalty area over the last 365 days.

As such, it is easy to see why the left-footer – who can also play at centre-back, central midfield and on the left-wing – has been compared to the former Bayern Munich and current Real Madrid defender David Alaba, nor it is hard to understand why Hoffenheim sporting director, Alexander Rosen, took the time to praise the full-back’s remarkable rise earlier this season.

Speaking about Raum’s sensational campaign last time out, Rosen said: “David is a highly talented and extremely fast player with a strong left foot who has developed into one of the most sought-after full-backs in Germany thanks to his outstanding performance this season.”

As such, while competition for his signature will undoubtedly be extremely high, it would appear highly advisable for Paratici to do everything he can to get a deal over the line for the Hoffenheim star this summer, as Raum could very well go on to become Antonio Conte’s very own Alaba at Tottenham.

AND in other news: “Understand…”: Gold now reveals big Spurs transfer twist, supporters will be gutted

BBC journalist Fraser Fletcher reports that Glasgow Rangers have now ‘approached’ the representatives of Erik Botheim over a potential move to Ibrox.

The Lowdown: Rise to fame

You would be forgiven to not know much about Botheim before last season, where he lit up the European stage for Bodo/Glimt, scoring four goals and making four assists in six games in the UEFA Europa Conference League, including five goal contributions in a 6-1 thrashing of Jose Mourinho’s AS Roma (Transfermarkt).

Perhaps his biggest claim to fame is being the best friend of now Manchester City superstar Erling Haaland, as the Norwegian pair have been mates since releasing a viral music video together back in 2016.

Nonetheless, while Botheim has not made his senior debut yet for the national team, he sure to play alongside his fellow countryman soon enough, scoring at six different youth levels for Norway and now captaining their U-21 side.

The Latest: ‘Approached’

Taking to Twitter, Fletcher has revealed that Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side have now ‘approached’ Botheim’s representatives over a potential move to Scottish football, and are ‘very keen’ to sign the striker:

“Rangers have approached Erik Botheim representatives to try and bring him to Ibrox. Many offers on table for him but Rangers in a tough fight for his signature and are very keen I understand. He will announce his decision soon.”

The Verdict: Morelos replacement?

Given uncertainty over the future of Alfredo Morelos with his contract running down, and the fact that young prodigy Rory Wilson is set to sign for Aston Villa, the Teddy Bears may have to sign another forward this window, and Botheim would fit the bill.

Added to his European exploits, he also managed a goal every two games in Norway’s top flight last year, 15 in total, showing that he knows where the back of the net is.

Despite being just 22 years of age, Botheim is a real leader, evidenced by him captaining his country at youth level, and is exactly the kind of character needed to succeed Morelos, should the Colombian end up leaving the Light Blues.

In other news, find out which Gers gem is now set for a ‘shock’ move away here!

An update has emerged on Sunderland and their interest in signing Daniel Iversen from Leicester in the summer transfer window…

What’s the talk?

According to The Sun, the Black Cats are keen on the shot-stopper as Kristjaan Speakman plots to bring in a new goalkeeper for the club.

The report claims that Middlesbrough and Preston North End are also in the race for his signature ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

Alex Neil would love him

The Sunderland boss would love to have him at the Stadium of Light next season as he already knows exactly how good the Dane is, having worked with him at his previous club.

Upon signing Iversen for Preston in 2021, Neil said: “We know what we are getting; young, enthusiastic, played at a good level, played international football for his country, so I think he will be a great addition.”

The Scot was seemingly confident that he had landed an excellent goalkeeper and he was proven correct as the shot-stopper enjoyed an excellent second half to the 2020/21 season.

In 23 Championship appearances, he averaged a superb SofaScore rating of 6.95 as he kept nine clean sheets and saved 71% of the shots against him.

He then returned to Deepdale for a second spell in the 2021/22 campaign – after Neil left – and caught the eye between the sticks. The 24-year-old averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.93 as he played in all 46 league matches – keeping 13 clean sheets.

These statistics show that the £22k-per-week colossus – who stands at 6 foot 4 – is a proven Championship performer, with Preston reporter George Hodgson dubbing him “unbelievable”. He will, therefore, add much-needed second-tier experience to the goalkeeping ranks.

Current number one Anthony Patterson has never played at a higher level than League One and only has 23 professional league appearances in his career to date. He is untested over a long period of time and this means that he cannot be relied upon as the only goalkeeping option heading into next season.

This is another reason why Neil would love to have Iversen in his squad as he would provide serious competition for the number one shirt. He would be able to challenge Patterson for his place and step in if the 22-year-old is unable to make the step up to Championship level.

The former Preston loanee knows exactly what it takes to perform in the second tier and Speakman must now work hard to land him in the coming weeks.

AND in other news, Forget Stewart: SAFC deal for gem who’s “loved by the fans” would get SOL rocking…

Wolves are plotting a bid for Braga defender David Carmo ahead of the summer transfer window as Bruno Lage identifies new targets.

What’s the word?

That’s according to Portuguese newspaper O Jogo (via Birmingham mail) which states that the Premier League is the likely destination for Carmo.

Wolves face competition from German club Wolfsburg, as confirmed by Fabrizio Romano, although their bid was turned down.

The defender has a release clause of €40m (£34.3m) and this could tempt Lage into making a move for the player.

Lage needs him

Wolves enjoyed a solid campaign in the Premier League, finishing tenth and just missing out on European football for next year.

The onus is on the manager to rejuvenate the squad and with certain players’ futures, such as Ruben Neves and Joao Moutinho uncertain, there could be plenty of incomings during the summer.

One area that Lage is aiming to boost is the defence and with Romain Saiss leaving, there is a hole that needs to be filled.

Carmo would be a fine addition to the Wolves squad and won 2.5 aerials per game last season, ranking him third in the Braga side.

Compared to positional peers in the big five leagues, Carmo ranks in the top 1% for clearances per match (6.75), whilst also displaying his attacking skills, again ranking in the top 1% for non-penalty goals (0.18 per 90) and he also generates 0.89 shot-creating actions per match.

These stats show that Lage would be benefiting at both ends of the pitch by signing the defender and at just 22 years of age, he could kickstart the next stage in his development by moving to England.

His Braga performances led manager Carlos Carvalhal to describe him as a “fantastic” centre back, while Leicester City boss Brendan Rodgers claimed that Carmo has an “excellent profile” and this is high praise indeed from two coaches who are well respected.

Lage should act sooner rather than later with a move for the player before a club of a bigger stature come along and ruin the opportunity.

AND in other news, Tim Spiers now reveals major Wolves transfer twist, supporters will be buzzing…

West Ham United could pounce on Bologna defender Arthur Theate, according to Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport (via Sport Witness). 

The lowdown

Bologna brought in Theate from homeland club KV Oostende last summer on an initial loan with an obligation to buy.

The 22-year-old Belgian, who’s been capped twice by his country, played 31 Serie A matches in his first season at the club.

A report from The Evening Standard has already revealed that David Moyes wants to buy ‘at least one’ new centre-back during the summer transfer window.

The latest

The report states that Theate ‘could be sacrificed’ if manager Sinisa Mihajlovic opts to play with four at the back next season.

He would be made available for a fee of around €10million, the equivalent of £8.5million.

David Moyes and West Ham ‘like’ the Belgian and they could be in position to take advantage.

The verdict

What attributes does Theate offer as a centre-back?

Well, he makes a high number of progressive passes, ranking in the 74th percentile in Europe, and his 2.64 interceptions per 90 minutes (85th percentile) suggest he reads the game well too.

But perhaps his standout asset is his ball carrying, with Theate in the 85th percentile for progressive carries and as high as the 94th for dribbles completed.

In terms of a stylistic profile, he’s a close match for Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly.

Talent scout Jacek Kulig has hailed him as ‘one of Serie A’s biggest revelations’ and suggested in December that he could be worth up to €18million (£15.3million). West Ham could end up signing him for nearly half what some would consider his true worth.

Theate, then, looks like a potential bargain that would help to address one of Moyes’ transfer priorities.

In other news, David Moyes has stepped up this transfer pursuit.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s (KSA) Public Investment Fund (PIF) are reportedly now ‘ready’ to sign Aaron Hickey for Newcastle United this summer.

The Lowdown: ‘Amazing’ development

Former teammate at Hearts – and now part of the coaching team for Scotland – Steven Naismith has hailed Hickey’s ‘amazing’ development since leaving the country to sign for Bologna in Italy.

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Indeed, he played in all but two games in the Serie A this season, scoring five goals and making one assist from full-back (ninth-fewest goals in the division, finishing 13th on a very low budget.

His performances earned Hickey his first two senior caps for Scotland back in March, at the tender age of just 19.

The Latest: Newcastle ‘ready’

As per Gazzetta dello Sport (via Sport Witness), the St. James’ Park faithful are now ‘ready’ to sign Hickey ‘above all’, with Arsenal and Brentford also thought to be interested in his signature.

He is likely to cost in the region of €25m (£21.3m), should he make the switch to the North East.

The Verdict: Sign

At 19 years of age, Hickey has the world at his feet, and there is no doubting his potential having already played at a high level for club and country.

He is equally as comfortable at playing at right-back and left-back, which makes him a handy option for Eddie Howe, and at six-foot tall, could perhaps even do a job as a central defender if needed.

Nonetheless, £21.3m could end up being a small price to pay if he rapidly develops over the next few years.

In other news, find out which ‘outstanding leader’ could now join the Magpies here!

Antonio Conte reportedly has his sights set on bringing Manchester City forward Raheem Sterling to Tottenham Hotspur this summer, according to The Telegraph.

The Lowdown: Sterling profiled

The 27-year-old joined the Sky Blues in a £49m move from Premier League rivals Liverpool seven years ago, and he has since gone on to make 339 appearances for his current club, scoring 131 goals and providing 95 assists during that time, as per Transfermarkt.

Despite still having just over a year remaining on his contract with Pep Guardiola’s side, the winger has been heavily linked with a move away from the Premier League champions, with the likes of Barcelona and Chelsea being named as potential suitors.

However, following a fresh update, it would now appear as though the most current interest is coming from the Lilywhites.

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The Latest: Spurs line up Sterling swoop

In a new article published by The Telegraph, it is claimed that Sterling is a player that Conte would ‘no doubt’ look at signing if he decides to leave City. However, it remains ‘highly questionable’ whether or not Spurs would be able to afford his wages and price tag, which is believed to have been set at around the £80m mark.

The report added that the 74-cap England international will ‘carefully weigh his options’ up whilst on holiday next month before making a return to the UK to hold ‘talks’ with City about his future, although it is thought that the attacker would aim to join a club ‘higher’ than the north London outfit.

The Verdict: Second time lucky?

Despite finding the net 17 times across all competitions this season, Sterling has slightly fallen down the pecking order under Guardiola in recent weeks behind the likes of Phil Foden, Riyad Mahrez and Jack Grealish, so it’s no shock to see him being rumoured with a summer exit.

The former Liverpool man, who was once dubbed a “beast” by former City centre-back Tosin Adarabioyo, has previously been associated with a switch to N17, after Spurs chairman Daniel Levy was offered the player as part of an attempted swap deal for Harry Kane just last year.

After successfully securing Champions League football for Tottenham next term, Conte is now said to be targeting between six and eight new signings to bolster his ranks ahead of the 2022/23 season, one of which is a forward who can play either centrally or out wide. If the price is right, the versatile Sterling might just be someone who comes back onto the club’s radar in the coming months.

In other news… Conte is believed to have made a major transfer decision involving this former Spurs star

Villarreal attacker Arnaut Danjuma is now on the radar of Tottenham Hotspur ahead of the summer transfer window, claims transfer insider Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Danjuma’s season

Since making the switch from Bournemouth last year, the 25-year-old has gone on to leave an incredible impression on the Spanish top-flight. In 34 games for the La Liga outfit, the Netherlands international has netted an impressive 16 goals.

As a result of his domestic and European form – he scored six times on route to the Champions League semi-finals – a number of transfer rumours have arisen linking the winger with a move back to England.

According to a report by 90min, Fabio Paratici and co. sent a number of club officials to watch Danjuma in the first leg of Villarreal’s semi-final tie against Liverpool earlier this month.

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The Latest: Jones’ claim

With all this information, transfer window expert Jones believes that Danjuma is on Paratici’s summer wish list.

Speaking with GiveMeSport, he claimed:

“They’ve got Danjuma on their radar. He’s a good player, but I don’t believe that he’s going to increase the ceiling of what this Tottenham team can achieve, so I think this is one they will wait and see on.”

The Verdict: Great signing

During his stint along the south coast, Bournemouth manager Jonathan Woodgate was full of praise for the 25-year-old, asserting that he is “an exceptional player”.

Former European Golden Shoe winner Kevin Phillips has also reiterated this rhetoric, claiming that Danjuma “is a nightmare for defenders”, as “he can hurt any defence with his pace and directness”.

With Antonio Conte’s side hoping to secure a top four Premier League finish and a place in next season’s Champions League, Paratici will be eyeing the likes of Danjuma, as the Lilywhites look to bolster the quality in their squad as they plan for a busier schedule next year.

In other news: Tottenham Hotspur: Levy will be ‘delighted’ with Champions League plans